Seventy years ago, Frank Bear bought his wife, Mildred, a tiny house to put under their Christmas tree in New Philadelphia. Each year, he added another piece, and eventually, his sister, Betty Bear, also of New Philadelphia, contributed a battery-operated train.

As Frank and Mildred’s children and then grandchildren, grew older, they, too, began to contribute, until today, the display takes up the entire end of the living room of grandson, Vic Krebs, and his wife, Adrie, of Dover.

Krebs, who inherited the village from his mother, Dorothy Halter, of Dover, said the display took more than a week to lay out and set up.

The Christmas tree is at the highest point, hills of cotton batting draped over the piano, styrofoam blocks, the coffee table and various boxes, until it reaches the floor.

No reason seems to govern the visual feast, as buildings, animals, trees, lakes and nativities are spread across the snow.

Pointing out different buildings, Krebs noted that some of the older houses are cardboard gift boxes, and said that today’s lighted houses are much fancier and less delicate.

“I’m afraid to try to light the old ones,” he said, “for fear they might catch fire from the bulbs.”

Several of the houses have hand-blown glass roofs and windows. Along with the houses, there are churches, a large movie theater, a schoolhouse, a cookie stand and stores. Several antique Santas make their way across the landscape in sleighs pulled by reindeer molded in lead, and trees of every size and description dot the hills.

“Grandma Mildred collected elephants, and Aunt Betty collected bears,” Krebs said, “so there are a number of those wandering around in the snow, along with a wolf, dogs, a lion, a moose and an entire circus.

Snow White also fascinated Grandma, so there is a large representation of her and all her dwarves sort of towering over the rest of the little village. Her very favorite things were the little skating ponds made from mirrors and covered with skaters.” Krebs said one of the most unusual pieces is a river that runs to a pond. “We bought that in Nebraska on one of our trips,” he said.

Krebs, in remembering the very first village of his youth, said, “This didn’t start out to be anything fancy, just a simple little town with the pieces mostly purchased from the W.T. Grant Five and Dime in New Philadelphia. But as it grew, it became more and more meaningful, and we began to make a special trip to the Bonner’s Christmas specialty shop in Frankenmuth, Mich., each year to find new unusual additions.”

He said that, today, he buys pieces wherever he finds them.

“Recently, my wife and I added two sailors to represent our fathers, Forrest Krebs and Adrian Wisintainer, for having served in the Navy during World War II. We are always looking,” he said.

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The tradition hasn’t stopped with Adrie and Vic. Two of their three children, Jim and his wife, Michelle, of Panama City, Fla., and Laurie Krebs, of Dover, have begun villages of their own. Son Mike Tilotti of Dover has not taken up the habit yet. Adrie, who says her main job is to stay out of the way when the village is being set up, does her own decorating with six different nativities throughout the house.

Since the couple is retired — Vic from the railroad in Willard and Adrie from Union Hospital — they feel they have plenty of time to decorate, “but then,” said Vic, “after the holidays are over, comes the hard part, wrapping it all up ... in bubble wrap … until next year.”